Juliann
by My-Friend-KITT
Summary: This story is set just before and during Goliath Returns. It is more of a background story for the character Juliann.
1. Chapter 1

Juliann

Chapter 1

Martin Hartman worked feverishly all night long to meet his noon deadline. He had been given the responsibility to tear down this old and abused suspension system and replace it. The newer model system was so technically advanced that he was having difficulty modeling it to fit this custom Maserati.

The early dawn had brought a visitor to his silent garage. Martin lay deep underneath the expensive import when he noticed something largely out of place.

A brilliantly red set of shiny leather high heels stood only feet away from his working space. He had never seen such beautiful pumps in his entire life.

"Mr. Hartman?" a sensuous voice called from above.

"Present…Well presently below." He murmured from under the custom import. "How may I help you Miss?"

"Are you the Martin Hartman of JJ & Martin and Associates?" She continued.

"One in the same Ma'am?" He called back as he loosened a rubber fitting. "Is there something I can help you with? I have a deadline that needs to be met and even though I would love to see when those legs end up. I have no time."

"My name is Adrianne, Adrianne Margeaux. I have a business proposition for you. One that you would be a fool to decline." Adrienne offered.

"I know your type of business Miss Margeaux but as you can see I am very busy. Come back at another time and wear those pumps again. They will definitely garner attention." Martin chuckled as he pulled up a dirty aluminum tray to catch some lubricant run off.

"Mr. Hartman," Adrianne became flustered. "I am not in _that_ business. I work for a company named Knight Reconstructions. I am in the middle of a Goliath project that needs your expertise. You are the best in the business and come highly recommended."

"As you can see, I am deep within my current project, Miss Margeaux. I do not have a need to start a new one. But thanks anyway." Martin called out from underneath the expensive import.

"No Mr. Hartman, you have failed to understand the gravity of the offer I am bestowing upon you. Knight Reconstructions is not some slum run-of-the-mill repair shop. We are a very reputable and lucrative business. We have much to offer you." Adrianne responded.

"There is not much that you can offer me that I do not already have provided right here. I want for practically nothing here. At any time, I have funds, vacation, and I have only my brothers to worry about as bosses. So as you can see, I am uninterested but thanks anyway." Martin finished as he re-lubricated the boot.

Adrianne did not ever accept 'no' as an answer and today would not be the first. With no effort at all, she reached down and yanked the red rolling cart that Martin was laid out on. It moved so easily and fast that it pulled him clear of the Maserati by feet.

Stunned by the unprovoked attack, Martin leapt up from his sprawled out position and faced off with his attacker. "Why did you do that?"

"You were not taking my offer seriously. This is the best opportunity of your very life and you think I am playing a game. Well, I am not. I am serious. I am offering you a monthly salary in the six figure range as well as lodging, food, and child care. You have a child, right? We will see to her every need. How can you turn down this offer?" She proposed straight into his face.

"I do have a daughter, Rebecca. However, she has nothing to do with this. And you ask about how I can turn down your offer. I turn it down like this." Then Martin laid back down on his red roller and slid back underneath the expensive sports car.

"Mr. Hartman, I can see that you are busy. So, I will let you consider my offer. I will return in 2 days for a final decision. But, until then, here is my card and a description of what I have to offer you. Think about it and remember this is a lifetime offer you won't soon regret." Adrianne proposed as she slid a neatly folded paper under the windshield wiper of the blue Maserati. She then turned quickly on her expensive red high heels and strolled out of Martin's garage.

Martin harrumphed as he listened to her clicking heels as she left. He couldn't believe her straightforwardness. Maybe he would look into it. Maybe.

That evening, Martin and his 16 year old daughter, Rebecca, sat down to a chef's prepared meal. He had finished the suspension work well within the deadline, well about 2 hours ahead of the deadline, and he wanted to celebrate. "Becky, would you mind going out with me to the movies?"

"I did have plans with Jackie tonight but they can wait until tomorrow night. Why the sudden urge to want to hang out with me?" She asked as she shoveled a heaping spoonful of Manicotti into her perfectly colored mouth.

"I just finished with the Resortmen account and want to celebrate with my beautiful daughter. Is that so bad?" Martin asked with devilish eyes.

"I guess not. So, do you have another project in the works or are you off now for a bit. Can we go back to the Lake Tahoe cabin for a couple of weeks?" Becky loved the wooden Lake Tahoe cabin. It was not too big and not too small and it was modernized with all the comforts of home. Plus, it has the most glorious view of the pristine lake and the pine tree covered mountainside.

"Well, I currently don't have any plans for the next couple of weeks. However, I did get an interesting offer from a very beautiful lady, but I turned her down. So, yeah that sounds great." He added with excitement.

"Offer Daddy? What kind of offer?" Becky was now fully interested in who and what this lady was.

"Oh, it was a new job offer. She wanted me to work for some business called, Knight Reconstruction. I've never heard of them but she offered me everything but the moon to join." He chuckled.

"Was she serious, Daddy? Maybe we ought to consider it. You know how Uncle John has been treating you lately. Maybe you ought to try it?" Becky considered out loud.

"I know that it would be nice to give John a good scare by leaving the business, Becky. But I couldn't do that to him. He's my brother after all." Martin sentimentally answered. "I love him."

"And what has he done for you, Dad? Huh? Other than invite you to work for him and take orders from him all day long?" Rebecca asked in a very accusing tone. "I mean, even when Mom died all he did was give you a card. Maybe it's time to show him how important you are."

"Wow Sweetheart, you really want me to do this and you don't even know anything about it. For all you know, this change in lifestyle could make us impoverished and you still want to do this?"

"No Dad, that's not what I said." Rebecca defended. "What I meant was, consider it. And the reason why I liked it without knowing too much about it was because I know you Dad. You would never have even mentioned it unless it was a good idea. So if it was that good, let's try it." Becky announced with a little excitement.

"I'm glad, Becky, that you have such a strong faith in me. But, what if I am wrong? What if John or Jacob decides not to rehire me? What if all of this ends up in us being poor and homeless?" Martin worried out loud.

"Dad, you know very well that Uncle John will miss you. Plus, you know that you have a talent. Or else, why would that lady want you so bad?" Rebecca asked as a reassurance.

"Before we go putting the cart before the horse, I think that we ought to sit down with this Miss Margeaux to straighten out the terms of my employment. I am not going anywhere where I can't take you. I know that you are nearly an adult Sweetheart, but I still want you here with me, you understand?" He hoped. It was hard coming to the realization that his little girl was turning into a beautiful young woman. And, he was definitely not leaving his little girl alone.

"Awww thanks Dad but you don't have to worry about me. I wasn't planning on staying behind if you left." She reassured her Dad as she held his rough hand tenderly.

Later that evening, Martin Hartman made the phone call that would change the lives of both his daughter and himself forever.


	2. Negotiations

Juliann

Chapter 2- Negotiations

Los Angeles, Ca

A tall glass high-rise stood proud. It shined in the noon-day sun and even seemed to glow a blue hew. The pinnacle of this modern marvel reached so high that it was unseen by the pedestrians strolling below. The name KNIGHT was etched directly into the marble entranceway.

Some 26 floors above the hustle and bustle of the downtown LA traffic, a small meeting was taking place.

"We have called this meeting together to discuss the possible employment of Mr. Martin David Hartman." Adrianne announced officially. On each side of her sat a grey-haired lawyer in a perfectly pressed, black business suit. Off to a quiet corner of the glass enclosed large meeting room sat a court stenographer. "Mr. Hartman, you have successfully passed our rigorous background checks as well as being superior in your line of work. Knight Reconstructions wishes to offer you employment."

On the opposite side of the highly polished Redwood conference table, sat Martin and his 16 year old daughter, Rebecca. Martin had only that morning purchased an expensive burgundy business-suit for just this very occasion. He needed to look the part. Rebecca purchased and currently wore a conservative Forest Green cocktail dress. She looked magnificent.

Both Martin and Rebecca were really nervous and kept examining the large meeting room. Not only that, they both couldn't take their eyes off of the 2 lawyers and the stenographer that had joined them in this uncomfortable space.

Martin might not have been in this position before in his life but that didn't mean that he was an amateur in the art of negotiations. Being in the business that he was in, Martin knew how to talk the talk and walk the walk. It didn't really matter how much money you profess to own or the environment you decide to use. It still had the same rules of engagement.

"Before I go signing my life away in your fancy paperwork, I want to know what exactly I am signing up for. Tell me about Knight Reconstructions and what you expect from me in this business. I know that I have a talent. Now I want to know how you will use it." He inquired with a very slight smile.

Adrianne's eyes lit up as she made eye contact with her next possible employee. "Well Mr. Hartman, Knight Reconstructions is just like the name sounds. We rebuild the impossible. Our current project is a Goliath of an endeavor. That is why we are seeking your level of expertise. We are willing to compensate you handsomely for your efforts. How about we begin our negotiations at $20,000 a month along with room and board?" Adrianne offered with a slight nod to each of the lawyers. As she laid out her proposal, both of the silent lawyers began feverishly writing.

Rebecca nearly choked on her own saliva when she heard the Huge amount of money the red-headed lady offered her Dad. She had figured that the offer would be substantial but she had never thought that it would be _that_ high.

Martin did much better at maintaining his composure. He was just as stunned with the calmly offered amount of cash as his Rebecca was. He hadn't expected to be _that_ valuable of an asset, but if this woman had considered him as such, he wasn't going to argue with it. Well, maybe just a little. "That is a mighty nice offer Miss Margeaux, but I have a feeling that you can do better than that." He led in with a sneaky tone. "You see, my beautiful daughter Rebecca here. She needs every advantage in life that I can somehow provide her. Right now, I need the funds to send her to a reputable college. Do you see where I am going with this?"

Adrianne slightly nodded her head in understanding and then began a silent conference with the two grey-haired attorneys. It lasted a good 30 seconds and was so silent that even their whispering was unheard. Finally, after some obvious agreement head-bobs, the two grey-haired lawyers began writing frantically and Adrianne locked eyes with Mr. Hartman.

"I was under the assumption that you were going to immediately accept my gracious offer. You sir have never had that kind of money offered to you in your whole lifetime. And after further conversation with my cohorts, we have decided to not increase the offer. Granted, you are talented, we can easily find a different individual with the same level of skills who will accept our terms." Adrianne firmly stated. "So, in short, take it or leave it."

Rebecca hadn't expected that. She had figured that the rules to negotiations had been: Offer-Deny, Offer-Deny, and then reluctantly accept. When had the rules of negotiations changed? Was Daddy going to accept the offer? Should she say something?

Martin wasn't about to fall for such an obvious trick. He knew this ploy. This was to put him in a worried mood so he would immediately accept. "Well Miss Margeaux, if you can find that talented someone else that will happily accept your offer, then so be it. I however, have now laid down the foundations of my negotiations. If you find them unacceptable, then we are done. Have a great day." He then stood up from the large solid wood conference table and tapped his daughter on the shoulder.

Rebecca was now really confused. Why was Dad suddenly cutting off the meeting? Why didn't he just accept the huge offer the nice lady had given him? Why did he want to leave all of the sudden?

"Rebecca, come let's go. We are done here." Martin said more for Miss Margeaux than his confused daughter. "We are off to the lake. Oh, and Miss Margeaux, if you change your mind about my offer and want to try this again, I am ready to hear it. Until then, I am going to be at my Lake Tahoe cabin. I have a feeling that you know exactly where that is. "He said with a smile as he pushed his daughter out of the glass enclosed conference room.

Adrianne let him go. She knew this tactic as well as he knew her tactic. She knew that he needed time to swallow her generously given offer and that she needed to consider his daughter more. She smiled wryly as she watched him walk off with his daughter in tow. Oh yeah, he was an asset alright.

"Daddy, why didn't you not accept the money when Miss Margeaux stopped the negotiations? What if she never calls us back? What if she lowers it?" Rebecca asked worriedly as they entered the all metal elevator.

"Sweetheart, she was trying to scare me into accepting her offer. She has no intention of letting me go. Actually, I would be surprised if we make it out of the building right now." He said with a huge grin as he pulled his daughter into a reassuring hug. "Stick with me on this. We will be fine."

"Okay Dad, whatever you say." She gave in as she returned the hug.

Sure enough, the moment the two walked passed the receptionist's greeting-stand on their way out of the tall high-rise, the blonde receptionist called them over. "Mr. Hartman? Are you Mr. Hartman?" She called out. "Please come over here."

Martin considered ignoring the blonde. He knew that she was going to be sending him back upstairs to complete their meeting. Instead, he knew that this had to be finalized before his jealous brothers found out about the job and the money. So he slowly approached the marble countertop. "Yes, I'm Martin Hartman. How may I help you?"

"Miss Margeaux wishes you to return. May I inform her that you are on your way up?" The happy Blonde spoke carefully.

"Yes, tell her that I am coming." He relented and then added, "In a couple of hours. I am taking my daughter to lunch." Then he turned away from the marble desk and headed out the glass doors arm-in-arm with his Rebecca.

Adrianne smiled devilishly as she heard the buzzing sound of the phone ringing. She knew that it had to be the receptionist calling back about Mr. Hartman's impending return. "Yes" She snapped as she picked up the black receiver.

"Mr. Hartman informed me to tell you that he is going to take his daughter to lunch and then return later." The normally bubbly receptionist spoke with quiet worry.

"Later huh?" Adrianne said with a smile. "Thank you, ring me when he arrives." She added roughly and then hung up.

"Well gentlemen, we have a good one this time. He will be sly and fun to negotiate with but I think we can still get the better of this. How about we go over our plan over a quick lunch while we wait?" She smirked as she stood up and opened the glass doors to the large meeting room.

About three hours later, everyone had reconvened in the large meeting room. The whole atmosphere of the meeting reaked of anticipation.

"Well Miss Margeaux, do we have a deal and if so, what is it?" Martin finally asked to cut the tension.

"We will fund your daughter's educational prospects to a limit. She has some goals that she must achieve to continue receiving funds. As to where she will be allowed to attend, we have no limit on her. We at Knight Reconstructions want the best out of everyone. If she becomes as talented as you, we may end up hiring her as well." Adrianne said with a wink to Rebecca.

"What are the goals? I need to be sure that she can maintain them?" Martin asked in worry. He knew that his baby was smart but maintaining an A+ average at Harvard was no easy task.

"Nothing too complicated. She must maintain at the lowest a B average, not miss more than 3 days of school in a semester –unless for medical reasons-, and she must reside in housing inspected and provided by us. Agreed?" Adrianne stated evenly as she nodded to the grey-haired lawyers.

"This offer sounds too good to be true. Which means that it may just be. Why such a generous offer?" Martin asked with skepticism.

"We at Knight Reconstructions want happy employees. Happy employees mean good work. If caring for the needs of your child gives me a happy employee, then I accept. So, do I have a new employee in Knight Reconstructions?" Adrianne asked with anticipation.

"So tell me exactly what I will be agreeing to and you may have a deal." Martin asked with slight worry. This meeting was going way to well. There had to be a catch somewhere.

"Knight Reconstructions will house both you and your daughter. We will provide 3 healthy meals a day for both of you. Also, we will be providing all the supplies of life for you as well as the comforts of home. Not only that, your daughter will be visited by a private tutor daily. Her education will be foremost on our list. If we are going to be sending her to college, then she needs to be prepared for it. And to top it all off, you will be paid $20,000 a month for your work. How is that for an offer?" Adrianne added excitedly.

Rebecca couldn't believe her ears. This was just awesome. She was going to have a private tutor and be able to attend any college she wanted. And not only that, she was going to be taken care of? Wow! This was Great!

Martin's enthusiasm was much more subdued. There had to be a catch to this. There just had to. Darn, he just couldn't see it. Well, this sounded great! So, might as well try it. "Okay, Miss Margaeux where do I sign?" He asked reluctantly.

"Call me Adrianne. All my friends call me Adrianne." She added with a glint of playfulness in her tone. "All of the paperwork will be drawn up and available for signature in one week. Mr. Hartman, you have one week to prepare for the relocation. We need you badly. Don't worry about your belongings. We will be sending for them ourselves. Everything will be attended to." She added with a nod to the frantically writing lawyers.

Martin quickly stood up. He needed to get out of here. Something didn't feel right and maybe this week would give him a chance to figure it out.

Seeing Mr. Hartman stand up to leave, Adrianne followed suit and then extended her hand for the agreement handshake. She needed to feel the weight of his confidence in her offer. She needed to know how sure he was with the deal.

Martin knew the art of the deal-making handshake. So he firmly grasped her perfectly manicured hand and gave it a good shake. He knew that this would make her feel good about the deal. And it sure did. He smiled inwardly as he watched her beautiful face light up with a huge grin.

"See you in 7 days. Be ready." She announced sweetly. "And once again, welcome to Knight Reconstructions."


	3. Moving Day

Juliann

Chapter 3- Moving Day

"You did WHAT?" John Hartman yelled at the top of his lungs. It was so loud that he made the weak windows in the small business office rattle.

"I have accepted a new job, John." Martin calmly responded from the opposite side of the cramped garage office. "This company promises both Rebecca and I a wonderful future."

"Why you S.O.B. I promised you that two years ago!" John vented through clenched teeth. "Have I not delivered? Have I not lived up to my end of the deal, dear little brother?"

"John, you and Jacob have provided my daughter and I a wonderful platform to build on." Martin reasoned softly. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a shouting match with his older brother. "You gave my family just the boost we needed when Elise died. Without that opportunity, I would have been a drunken lay-about wasting away in some hellhole somewhere and my beautiful Becky would have been taken away by Child and Family Services. And I cannot thank you enough for it but you have told me over and over, 'Always take any moment you can to better yourself and your family.' I am doing just that, John."

"How does it better me to take away a hardworking employee, good friend, and little brother, huh?" John seethed as he reluctantly took a seat in his tall brown leather office chair. "I _need_ you in more ways than one. And what about Becky? Are you making her pick up and leave everything she knows on a hunch and a job offer? Come on, really?"

"I am not making my Becky do anything. Actually, she was the one to talk me into the idea." Martin smiled lightly as he also decided to sit down. "Actually, she is a lot like her mother. She has an open passion for adventure. Elise had that and that's one of the many reasons I fell in love with her." Martin reminisced.

"Adventure or not, I am not letting you go and definitely not without a fight. Wait until Jacob hears about this. He will not be as calm as I. We are a team, little brother. You are breaking it up. And in order to get away from us, you will have to face us both!" John stated firmly as he leaned in close to his little brother. "This is not over, not by a long shot."

"Look John, I have made up my mind. I am taking the deal. I am moving in 5 days and I am going to be taking my Becky with me. That's final." Martin proclaimed as he leaned back heavily in the hard wooden office chair. "I wish to have your blessing on this but if you and Jacob can't handle it, I will go without the blessing. Please, don't turn this into bad blood."

John slammed his fist hard against the solid Oak desk, "Me?! I am not the one leaving all my family and friends behind to join some agency that has promised me the moon! Dammit John, can't you see what's going on here? There is something _bad_ about them! They would not have to find people and offer fortunes if they were reputable."

"Maybe they are and maybe they aren't who cares?" Martin softly continued. "That's beside the point. I have already agreed and you know me about oaths and such."

"Leave!" John yelled as he jumped up angrily. "Get out of my face! I don't have a brother in you now! So, leave my office before I call the police to report a trespasser."

"John, listen to me…" Martin began.

"GET OUT!!!" John yelled as he pointed to the old style single-windowed office door.

Martin slowly stood up while trying to make eye contact with his purely angry brother. He wanted to make this right. It wasn't supposed to be like this. "John…" He tried again.

John turned away from his brother. He didn't want to see his face anymore. Plus, he didn't want his little brother see him cry. He faced away from the small exit as stiff as a as he could manage in his state. How could he do this? Why would he do this? John kept asking himself in his mind as he heard the soft rattle of the door opening. He just couldn't understand it all. Then, he heard the soft shuffle of Martin's feet as he left. "Good Riddance." John whispered loudly but it was a lie. This was _killing_ him.

Later the next day,

Martin was carefully packing the fine china dishes that Elise had picked out the day before they were married. He was reminiscing about how he and Elise had planned out their whole lives together in this house with this stuff. How she would smile every time she pulled down one of these dishes and talk about their wedding. Gosh how he missed Elise! He was so deep into thought that he didn't hear the sing-song ring of the doorbell.

The chiming ring of the doorbell rang again.

"Dad, are you going to get that?" Rebecca called from her bedroom. She had gotten most of her clothes and knickknacks packed and was still working on her closet.

Martin carefully set down the stack of china he had on his lap and headed for the door, "Hold on. I'm coming" He announced with a little annoyance.

As he opened the door, he stood back in question. "Who are you?"

"Hi, I am George. I am with Wrap-It-Up Moving Company. We have been hired to move you out. So please stand aside." The short, stout man announced happily as he pushed Martin aside and entered the two-story home.

"I was told that the movers were not due for another day. You are early." Martin proclaimed as he re-took his spot in front of the smiling mover.

"The time frame for your complete transition has been moved up. You have to be fully moved in 2 days." George told him with a look of confusion. Usually the one being moved should know when they are moving.

"2 Days!?" Martin exclaimed loudly. "Why so soon?"

"That would be my fault." Adrianne announced from the doorway. "We need you now. The project needs you now."

Rebecca heard all the commotion coming from the living room and sneaked a peek at the action from the dark hallway.

Adrianne pulled a thick stack of paper from her hardside, brown leather briefcase. "Can we complete our deal now?"

Martin liked the shrewdness of this businesswoman. Not only was she a sight for sore eyes in her skin-tight red suit but she was also as smart as a Vanderbilt when it came to business. He knew that she would be quite a catch. "Our deal is not due. I have one week. I still have 4 days left."

"I will pay you $10,000 to pick up and leave right now." She offered with a sensuous smile as she entered the living room and approached Martin. "I _really_ want you with me." She whispered softly into his ear.

Martin took a tentative step back and nearly tripped over his box of fine china. As he checked his footing, Adrianne stepped forward to meet his defensive movements. She then swung an arm over his strong shoulder, "Just sign here and we are out of this Leave it to Beaver house and on to bigger and better things."

Martin ducked out of Adrianne's hold easily and crossed the massive living room in 2 seconds. "No, we have 4 days. You promised me 4 days." He said firmly. "Do you do this with all your deals?"

"I get what I want and right now I want you." Adrianne added sweetly as she began to chase the frightened Martin.

Rebecca couldn't take it anymore. She could see that this lady was not taking "no" for an answer. She stomped out angrily from her hiding place and confronted the sexy red-head chasing her Daddy. "What are you doing?" She growled at the Adrianne lady.

Adrianne tried to push the errant child aside as she searched for Martin. "I am trying to get you guys into your new home faster." She added in a very businesslike tone.

"No, it looks like you are trying to scare us out of the deal." Rebecca smartly proclaimed as she refused to be shoved aside. "Right now, Dad and I are still getting ready but if you keep this up, we will not be going. Dad and I _need_ the next 4 days. I have to say goodbye to my cousins and Dad needs to talk to his brothers again. We were promised 7 days, Miss Margeaux, now give us our 7 days!"

Adrianne stared the little pest down with a fire in her eyes that only the child could see. She could so totally make this mongrel disappear and get what she wanted from this weakling of a man. However, what would be the fun in that. It was too easy. "Okay, 4 more days." She announced happily like nothing happened. "See you in 4 days and keep the movers. They are very helpful." She added as she swayed out the door and down the walkway to her waiting black limo.

Martin stood dumbfounded by what happened. Did his daughter just negotiate her way into more time for both of them? Did she stare down his next _boss_? Did they win?

Rebecca finally found her Dad on the complete opposite side of the room standing beside a tall stack of packed cardboard boxes. "Dad, should we be doing this? I am starting to get a bad vibe from her."

"I think that she just wanted us to come earlier. Maybe the stress of this project she is working on is getting to her. We should be fine Rebecca." Martin reassured as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "By the way, where did that back there come from?"

"What?" Rebecca asked with a bit of confusion.

"What do you mean what? That whole scene with Miss Margeaux? You were wonderful Sweetie!" Martin asked as he picked up one of the china dinner plates.

"Mom, of course." Rebecca smiled and then led a couple of movers to her already packed bedroom.

Two Days Later,

Martin worriedly sucked in a deep breath of air and then pulled his daughter close to him. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah Dad, I guess so." She reluctantly agreed as she returned his reassuring hug.

Martin rang the lit up doorbell. It sang a chime that lasted at least a minute.

A beautiful woman in her mid-30's answered the door. "What are _you_ doing here? They don't want to see you." She commanded nervously as she checked over her shoulder.

"Come on Alicia, Becky wants to say goodbye. Are you going to deny her that chance?" Martin appealed to her sensitive side.

"It's not my choice. You are the one leaving and causing all this." Alicia spoke angrily but in low tones. The last thing she wanted to do was raise enough racket to gather attention from her husband and his brother, John.

"Alicia, please give us a chance. Come on, let me talk to them." He begged softly."All I need is to get inside. Please Alicia, allow us inside."

"Alright, but I didn't let you in. You barged in." Alicia relented. She knew how hard this had to be for everyone and they needed to start healing.

"Thank you…Thank you Alicia. I could not have asked for a better sister-in-law. My Elise cherished you as a friend and sister and I love you too." Martin sincerely and affectionately added.

"You don't need to butter me up. I already agreed to let you in. Now come on, let's do this." She snapped viciously as she stepped aside to let father and daughter inside her home.

"I wasn't 'buttering you up'." Martin explained fondly. "I was speaking from the heart and truthfully. I will miss you my sister." He choked out as he pulled her into a tight hug.

Alicia didn't fight the hug. She loved her brother as much as he loved her. She was going to miss him. "Martin, do you have to go?"

"Yes, this is an awesome opportunity that I just can't let go. Don't worry, we will be fine and will see you come the holidays. Love ya, Alicia." Martin whispered as he let go and aimed toward the kitchen. "Are they in there?"

"Yeah, they are going over job applications. Be careful my Jacob is not happy." Alicia warned as she nodded.

Martin carefully strolled across the vast well-decorated living room and swallowed hard as he softly pushed against the tan swinging door leading into the kitchen. He knew that this wasn't going to be easy.

Alicia quickly grabbed Rebecca's arm as the girl tried to follow her dad. "No Becky, he needs to do this alone. Let's go check up on the twins."

Rebecca sadly watched her Dad enter the Lion's den alone. She wanted to be there with him. She wanted to help him. She couldn't watch her Daddy suffer. "I should stay with him. He may need me."

"Sweetie, what he needs is alone time with his brothers. It will be _bad_ to say the least. I don't want you to be there. So we are going out with Connie, Conan, and baby Hannah. This will be great. Frannie will be meeting us with Drake and Andrew." Alicia added excitedly as she headed up the pink carpeted stairs. "Will you help me get the little ones ready?"

Rebecca worriedly glanced over her shoulder toward the still-swinging door to the kitchen as she reluctantly followed Aunt Alicia up the narrow stairs. She could swear that she heard some screaming and maybe a shattering of some glass coming from the kitchen. But she knew that Aunt Alicia was right. She wasn't supposed to be there even if she wanted to.

"MARTIN!" Jacob yelled at the top of his lungs as he jumped up off a wooden barstool. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" He screamed viciously as he rounded the solid marble island bar confrontationally.

Martin stood his ground with fear. Jacob was the oldest of the three and the one that was the most responsible for his brothers. He was the one to set up both of his little brothers with their exceptional education and started the car business to help them out. Martin knew how hard that this had to hit Jacob but he needed to do this.

"Did you not hear me? Do you need me to throw you out?" He growled as he confronted his stupid little brother face-to-face. There wasn't even a foot in between them.

John stayed silently seated. He had had a chance a few days ago to come to terms with the loss of his little brother. He wasn't happy but at least he wasn't as livid as Jacob. Now, he just quietly looked on as his brothers hashed out their anger.

"We need to talk, Jacob." Martin hesitantly whispered. He was nearly afraid to speak but he needed to do this.

Jacob swung around quickly, grabbed the half-empty coffee carafe, and slammed it against the grey marble countertop. "GET OUT!" He screamed.

Martin flinched slightly as the glass shattered all over the ceramic tile floor and the coffee flew all over. Some errant shards of glass bounced off of him and then landed on the white tile. He wasn't going to let the temper of his older brother get to him just yet but somehow it always surprised him. "No Jacob, we have to talk. I'm staying until we talk." He stated defiantly.

"You have nothing to say that I want to hear." Jacob seethed into Martin's face. He still clutched the plastic handle of the shattered carafe with a death grip.

"I do and you know it." Martin announced with a newfound confidence. "You need this more than I do."

"Who are you to tell me what I need?!" Jacob yelled back as he stepped back from his brother. "I have practically raised you since you were 18. Now you betray me and our family by leaving and taking my niece with you. I have no brother!"

"Jacob, you have done everything for me. Now I need to stand on my own. I need to be a man. I am 41 years old and I'm still being taken care of by my big brothers. I can't do this forever man. I need to sink or swim on my own and I think that this one is it. Please understand me on this one." Martin defended as he carefully stepped out of the striking range of his trembling brother.

"Don't you understand? This was never about who could be a _man_ or not. This was about family. You are breaking up the family. It burns, you idiot. It burns." Jacob spoke through gritted teeth as he paced the small kitchen space in front of Martin.

"I know it hurts Jacob. You think I want to get away from everyone? No way! I am not taking this job to make you hurt. I am doing this to better my life and Becky's." Martin explained as best he could.

"What do you need, huh? You need money?…I've been paying you for years. You need shelter?…I gave you Mom and Dad's house when you married Elise. You haven't wanted for much. So what is your next excuse?" Jacob argued viciously.

"Instinct." Martin spoke firmly as he maintained eye contact with his livid brother. "This feels right. It feels like the perfect next step in my life. Don't worry Jacob, I will be fine and we will visit as much as we can."

Jacob's stern features softened to sadness. "Why leave us?" he choked out.

"I need to do this, Jacob. I need to prove it to myself that I can. Don't worry, I will visit and if it doesn't turn out, I will be back sooner than you can believe." Martin reassured as he carefully wrapped an arm around Jacob's shoulder.

John took that moment to stand up. He had quietly watched the argument wind down and now he needed to get involved. "We will get to see you, right? I mean who am I supposed to harass when my little brother is not around?" He teased as he ruffled up his brother's dark brown hair.

Martin faked a punch to John's mid-section and then pulled him into a tight brotherly hug. "You'll find someone. I have faith in you." He joked.

Rebecca, Alicia, Connie, Conan, and Hannah finally were seated at the old style diner. It took the waitresses so long to seat them because their party consisted of two 5 year olds and a 1 year old. Not only that, they were also expecting Frannie with 10 year old Drake and 7 year old Andrew any minute.

"May I hold Hannah for a while? I'm gonna miss her." Rebecca begged.

"Sure but be gentle she just ate not long ago." Alicia warned as she lifted the sleeping little one out of the car carrier. "Do you have to go? Can you stay with us while Martin goes traipsing all over the Earth?"

"You know that I can't let him do this alone. He needs me." Rebecca cooed as she cradled the baby softly.

"I could really use your help around the house with the twins and little Hannah there. I could pay you, if you need?" Alicia bargained.

"No, I can't. The decision is made. We are going. It will be great and I will be fine. No worries." Rebecca said with a gentle smile as she softly rocked the sleeping baby.

At that moment, Frannie walked up with her two boys in tow. They were arguing over a toy truck Andrew was carrying. It was so loud that the other patrons in the crowded diner were staring in annoyance. "Knock it off!" Frannie yelled at the two boys.

"But Mom he stole my truck." Drake whined.

"In 2 seconds, I am walking out…If I have to walk out here, two children that will _sorely_ regret it. Is that clear?" She confronted.

"Yes Mother," they both answered in unison.

"Now, we are going to sit down to a nice meal, alright?" Frannie continued as she pulled out a chair and tiredly sat down.

Both Drake and Andrew quietly sat down and then looked at their cousins' who had crayons and paper to draw on. "Mom, may we have some crayons?" Drake carefully asked sweetly.

Just then, a hyper brunette in a pink server's uniform arrived with the much desired crayons. "Hi there everyone, are we ready to have fun?" She gushed with energy.

"Yeah, but give us a minute, please." Frannie mumbled as she looked over the menu.

"Sounds great! I will be back." The brunette giggled and then disappeared.

The large group enjoyed a nice family lunch. Both Alicia and Frannie tried to talk Rebecca out of leaving but Rebecca held her ground well. She wasn't leaving her Dad alone to fend for himself on this.

After lunch, the whole family strolled down to the nearby park. All the children were getting restless and the adults weren't done bonding. While Drake, Andrew, Connie, and Conan all played together on the jungle gym, Alicia, Frannie, and Rebecca all sat down on the nearby park benches and just talked.

They stayed like that until dusk. The conversations were so lively that they didn't even feel the passage of time. They hated it when they finally realized how late it was.

"Oh Man! Did you guys know that it's 7:15? We gotta go!" Frannie exclaimed worriedly. "I was supposed to be home hours ago. I have to get these guys fed and they have homework to do." She proclaimed as she picked up her things and stomped over to the playing boys. "Becky, don't be a stranger and be careful, okay?!"

"Okay Aunt Frannie, I will do both. BYE!" Rebecca yelled from her seat when it hit her. She really did mean 'bye'. She leapt up from her hard bench and sprinted over to Frannie and the boys. She wrapped her arms around Aunt Frannie and hugged her tightly. "Bye. I will miss you." She whispered softly through tears.

"I will miss you more." Frannie whispered back as she returned Rebecca's affection. "Stay out of trouble and visit as often as you can, okay?"

They both pulled out of the hug sadly looked each other in the eye.

"I promise." Rebecca vowed and then turned toward her little cousins. "You two rug rats be good, okay? You don't want me to come back and babysit do you?"

"Are you going somewhere, Becky?" Little Andrew asked worriedly.

"Yeah you little monster." She said with affection as she bear hugged him. "I am taking a trip. Don't worry, I will be back to bother you before you know it." She added as she set him back down. "And as for you," She addressed Drake firmly. "Take care of your brother. You have only one and he is not that bad." She said with a big smile. "May I have a hug goodbye?"

"I don't like goodbyes!" Drake grumbled and then turned away from her.

"Then not goodbye…How about 'See Ya'?" She asked with a light laugh.

"That sounds good." He agreed and gave her a big hug. "See Ya!" He yelled and then dashed over to the car.

"Bye!" Rebecca yelled as they all climbed into their new station wagon. She had tears running down her cheeks in sadness but held back the real pain as much as possible. Then she turned back to Aunt Alicia. "I guess we should go too." She added sadly.

They all piled into Alicia's green station wagon and slowly began the drive home. The instant the station wagon began moving, all the children fell straight to sleep leaving Aunt Alicia and Rebecca to talk alone.

"At any time you feel that you need to get away, come to us, okay? Our doors are always open to you, Sweetie. Never feel that you need an invite." Alicia announced in the silence.

"Thank you Auntie Alicia, I hope that I will not need to run away but if I do, I will come to you. Thank you." Rebecca appreciated the back-up but she didn't figure that she would need it.

Martin was worriedly waiting for Rebecca in the driveway when Alicia pulled up. He knew that she was with Alicia but why were they out so late?

"Oh Man! Dad's gonna kill me. We didn't call and it's late. Oh Man!" Rebecca worried out loud.

"Don't worry Sweetie, you will be fine." Alicia reassured as she stepped out of the green station wagon.

"Come on Becky, we've got to go!" Martin yelled out at his daughter. "The movers are finishing up right now. They want us to inspect the load and then they are done. We have to go!"

Jacob appeared next to his little brother. He needed the last goodbye. This was it. "Take care, little bro. Call me and tell me how you are, okay?" He asked as he pulled Martin into one last hug.

"I got it. I will call you." Martin faked annoyance. "I will miss you Jacob!" He cried as they hugged again.

"Me too, Martin…Me too" He agreed and then they both shook hands. Jacob then turned his attention to his only niece. "Take care of him, okay and be good."

"I will Uncle Jacob. He will be safe with me. Don't worry." She reassured him as they shared a tight hug. "I will miss you Uncle Jacob but I will not forget you. I promise."

"You'll be back. I know it." Jacob added and then stepped away to help Alicia get the sleeping children inside. "Hey Martin?!"

"Yeah?"

"Don't do anything that I wouldn't do!"

"Which means…Do it all!" Martin laughed hard as he sat down in his car.

Both Martin and Rebecca rode home in silence. Today was tough and tomorrow was the last day left to them before they were gone and they only had a couple of errands and then they were done.

Martin quickly checked up on the movers and approved their work while Rebecca slept in the car. The house that both he and Elise had lived in and raised a daughter sat cold and empty now. He quietly shuffled through each room and reminisced as he inspected the work of the movers. This was hard but he had to do it.

It was clean. Everything was gone. Even the little framed picture of Rebecca's baby feet was packed away somewhere. He smiled as he let the tears fall. "Elise, come with us. There is nothing here to hold you. Stay with us, okay?" He spoke to the ceiling. "I need you. We need you. Come with us."

Martin felt a sudden rush of cold air wisp across his cheek and head out the door. He smiled and then turned and left the dark and empty house to sit alone.

The next day, Martin and Rebecca woke up in a cheap hotel room. There was no other lodgings with openings that night.

"What do we do on our last day in this town?" Martin asked expectantly as he shaved.

"Well, how about we go fishing?"

"No, too dirty. I don't want to smell like fish tomorrow. How about we go shopping, catch a meal, and then see a movie? It will be our day out." Martin proposed with a huge smile.

"I love it Dad!" Rebecca agreed. "We can even take one last drive around town just to remember what it looks like."

"Deal!"

They did just that. They went shopping at the local mall and bought more stuff than they possibly needed. Then they went on a sightseeing drive around town. They ended up driving for three hours just chatting about the different places as they drove. Then Dad chose a Red Lobster for dinner. They ate like kings. With their bellies full, they went to the last showing of a movie. They didn't get out until 11pm and they were exhausted.

Martin took them back to the roach motel for their last night of sleep before the long trip to their new home. The small family was sound asleep in seconds.

At 6am the next day, a loud ticking noise woke up Rebecca. She wasn't as sound a sleeper as her Dad. "We are still in here!" She yelled at the door from her bed. "No Maid!"

"Maid?" A familiar voice called from the opposite side of the door. "I am not a maid. It's time to get going."

Rebecca hurriedly pulled on her jeans and yelled at her Dad. "She's here! Come on Dad get up!"

Martin grumbled and rolled over in frustration. "What time is it?"

"6 am and that lady is at our door. Now get up!"

Martin leapt out of bed and dashed into the small restroom."Already?! She is here already?"

Rebecca finished putting on her sneakers and checked her hair. "Yeah, I guess she wanted an early start, huh?"

Martin peeked out the banged up white restroom door. "I guess she was being nice to let us sleep in _this_ late." He joked.

"Yeah, I guess so. Now hurry. We can't keep Her Highness waiting." Rebecca pushed.

"Hey no jokes like that. She is going to be my new boss. We keep it straight and cool with her, alright?" He firmly added as he stepped out of the bathroom perfectly dressed and ready to go. "Alright…Shall we get going?" He spoke with a slightly nervous smile.

Rebecca nodded and then opened the front door to their tiny room. "Hi Miss Margeaux, you are early." She pointed out the obvious. "But we are ready."

"Great, shall we take my car?" Adrianne asked sweetly as she pointed to her black stretch limo.

"What about my car? What will happen to it?" Martin asked a little dejectedly.

"It will be shipped to you. Not a problem." She reassured him as she linked arms with Martin. "I am going to take very good care of you."

Rebecca gave the smiling red-head a course look but followed her Dad and the woman out to the waiting limousine. She then slid into the back first and glanced around the interior in awe. She had never been inside a limousine before in her life. This was cool!

Adrianne helped Martin get inside the stretched limo and then slipped in very smoothly. Once they were comfortably inside, she offered Martin a drink. "Champagne? To celebrate our new beginnings." She asked as she held up a crystal flute and a bottle of Dom.

"No thanks, I don't drink at 6 am." Martin waved it off.

"Suit yourself but you are missing out on one of life's little treasures." Adrianne spoke softly as she poured herself a tall sparkling glassful and then sipped carefully from it. "Shall we talk business then? I need you to sign that contract. It is just a minor agreement of employment. Every business has one." She pointed toward a stack of papers sitting patiently on the black leather seat.

Martin lifted the rather heavy stack and then casually flipped through them. It was rather dark inside the tinted windowed vehicle so he couldn't really read it. He knew what it had entailed and that was good enough for him. "Do you have a pen?"

Adrianne smiled coolly and slid a silver pen out of her dress. She must have kept it in or near her bosom. "I have this one, if you would like?"

Martin blushed as he snagged the silver writing device from her perfectly manicured hands. He then signed the thick document 3 times before he was complete.

Adrianne snagged the legal form from Martin instantly. "Thank you, Mr. Hartman and once again, welcome to Knight Reconstructions. Now I must ask a favor from you both." She led on evenly.

Both Martin and Rebecca leaned in close to hear.

"I need you both to take a test for me. It's a quick test but it has to be done." She reassured from behind her crystal champagne flute. "I need you to put on these masks and breathe normally. The masks are designed to test you for colds or allergies." She lied easily.

Martin and Rebecca looked at the full face masks with skepticism. Why do this here? Why now? Well, they trusted their new boss so they slipped them on over their heads.

The colorless and odorless gas worked instantly. Adrianne smiled evilly as she watched both father and daughter fall into a deep sleep.

"Sleep well, when you awake you will be home." She spoke to the two unconscious forms stretched out on the floor of the limo.


	4. Martin Who?

Juliann

Chapter 4- Martin Who?

Rebecca was the first to drowsily stir on the soft bed. She regretted it the instant that she did. A full wave of nausea slammed into her. Rebecca tried not to move and held back the bile that threatened to come up. Within seconds, she was sound asleep.

About an hour later, Martin met the same fate as his unconscious daughter. He rolled over lazily and was quickly assaulted by a wave of dizziness and nausea. He swallowed hard and held his eyes tightly closed. Soon, sleep overcame him.

&*&*&*

"Are they ready?" Adrianne asked the middle-aged doctor in the white mid-length trench coat.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Miss Margeaux? They did come willingly?" He asked worriedly.

"I need no outside distractions." Adrianne firmly stated and then softened her features. "They will still be well taken care of don't worry."

"This procedure is rather new and has its risks. Are you willing to accept the risk of death?" He challenged carefully.

"Don't worry about it Albert. Just do it." Adrianne ordered evenly.

"As you wish, return in about 3 hours they should be waking up about then." Albert stated coolly as he prepared his workstation. He set up the 4 vials of a thick green liquid on the silver aluminum. Next to them he laid two 2 inch long clear syringes.

Two middle aged nurses dressed in pale green mid-length smocks pushed a linen covered gurney into the dimly lit medical bay. They carefully positioned the gurney under a bright florescent light. It was the only light that lit the small blue tiled windowless room. And with a quick swish, one of the nurses yanked away the perfectly white linen to reveal a rather handsome middle aged male with short cut brown hair and wearing a short hospital gown.

"Prepare the subject." Albert ordered firmly as he moved over to the nearby washbasin.

The nurses moved quickly and deliberately. They rolled the unconscious male onto his side and began to shave the back of his head. While one handled the clippers and the razor, the other took charge of keeping the soapy water coming and clean.

As the diligent nurses rolled the limp male back onto his back and continued shaving his rather large head, Dr. Albert began to fill one of the 2 inch long syringes with the thick green fluid. He held up the filling syringe to the light for a better view. The horror film shadow of the doctor holding the syringe high up in the air showed clearly on a nearby wall.

"Is the patient prep'd and ready?" Albert asked as he held the needle level toward the now-clean head of the unconscious male.

"Yes doctor." The nurses affirmed in perfect unison and with no emotion.

"Then wake him. I need him conscious for this procedure." Albert ordered as he took a step back into the shadows.

Both nurses began to strap down the male. They used both leg shackles, both arm shackles, a strap over his calves, another over his chest, and then they strapped his head down. It was required for the amount of fight the subject would obviously put up. He needed to be secure and to be still. To ensure that his head didn't move about, they placed both a cervical collar on his neck and a U-shaped foam pad was secured around the crown of his clean shaven cranium.

"We shall begin to wake the subject." They spoke again in unison.

Then suddenly, one of the nurses slapped the male on the cheek as the other began to tick the bottom of his feet. It only took two slaps when an unfamiliar voice complained with a grumble. "Hey…what's going on?"

Martin's head was killing him. He could feel one heck of a headache coming on. That is when he tried to lift his hand up and realized that he was restrained. Then he tried to move his feet and his head and found that he was totally immobile. That is when the panic began to rise and he started really fighting the strong restraints. He tried kicking, rocking, pushing, shoving, and even just small movements. The strong woven cotton straps held firm.

"I advise you to remain calm and stay still." An unfamiliar voice flatly ordered Martin.

"Who are you? Where is Rebecca? What is going on?" Martin shot out his questions in rapid fire and fueled with anger. The whole time he still fought the tight hold of his unbreakable bonds.

"Your questions will be answered soon my friend. Right now, I need your cooperation." The baritone voice echoed smoothly. "This procedure is going to hurt but I need to stay perfectly still. Do you understand?"

"I will not cooperate until I know that my Rebecca is alright!" Martin defied as he fought harder. "You will have to knock me out to make me go along with whatever this is!" He yelled viciously at the shadow.

"I will complete my task with or without your cooperation Mr. Hartman. I suggest the cooperation only for your comfort nothing more." Albert stated coolly as he stepped into the light while holding up his green filled needle.

Martin felt a cold chill run down his spine and his mouth turned dry instantly. "What is that for?" He coughed out as his eyes focused solely on the glinting needle.

"Oh this?" The doctor teased as he lightly tapped the glass cylinder part of the needle. The sound was slight but sounded like a loud click in Martin's sensitive ears. "This will be your new life, Mr. Martin Hartman."

"What was wrong with the old one?" Martin asked more as a way to bargain for more time. He never took his brown eyes off of the shiny needle.

"We are wasting time. I still have one more subject after you." Albert hurriedly finished as he stepped closer to Martin who was under the full glare of the florescent light.

"Wait, one more?" Martin begged as he fought the straps harder. "My Rebecca?"

"I am not at liberty to say. Now lie still. This will only sting for a second." Albert ordered as he lined up the needle to the exact center of Martin's forehead.

"Listen, do what you must to me but please, I beg of you, don't harm my Becky, please?" He begged with tears running down his cheeks as he tried to turn his head side to side to throw the doctor off the mark.

"Speak if you must, but lie still." The doctor ordered with a hint of frustration. "If you continue to thrust about, you may become a vegetable."

Martin stiffened at the word and that's when he felt it. It was like the doctor had said. It only felt like a quick prick. He laid still in fear of the worst as he felt a cool wave swim over his mind. At first it felt euphoric; it seemed to cool the headache the gas had given him. But then it began to burn. It started out feeling like a light sunburn but then it grew to the pain level of a sprained ankle.

"What's happening?" Martin cried out in pain.

"Catplait is an experimental drug that systematically wipes your memories clean out of your mind. You might be asking yourself... 'Well that makes my skills and education in automotive repair nothing but an erased memory.' … You are mistaken my friend. Catplait gives me the options of what memories to erase. That's what makes it so new and experimental." The doctor spoke with pride as he set down the empty syringe on the metal tray with a clatter.

"Now Catplait has one flaw, it must be given in two doses." Albert continued with an evil grin. "Here is just the answer to that problem." He laughed as he lifted the second syringe high up in the air and attempted to look through the thick green liquid.

Martin's head was already starting to swim. Where was he? Who was this guy? What was going on? At the same time, the pain had increased to the level of a knife slicing off a finger. He screamed out in pain.

"Who are you?" Dr. Albert asked as he lined up the second syringe to Martin's right temple.

"I…AM…MARTIN….." He managed to scream as he felt the second prick into his scalp. "I…AM…MART…I…AM…I…" He screamed as the cool liquid turned painful quickly. He soon realized that he had no idea who he was. He screamed out again.

"WHO ARE YOU!!!!!!!!" Dr. Albert pushed the obviously stressed out screaming man. "WHO ARE YOU?!"

The pain began to subside and within minutes it was gone. The man laid there in a thick pool of sweat and tears in some kind of an odd stupor. He relished the freedom from pain and soon succumbed to the darkness of sleep.

Dr. Albert watched the pained expression on his patient's face smooth out and calm down. Now all that was left was recovery, if the man recovered. There was a 70% chance that his patient would die from the drug within 2 hours. But that was the chances that he understood when Miss Margeaux proposed this procedure. If this worked, it would be the standard for all employees at Knight Reconstructions.

"Take him to recovery and monitor his status carefully. Call me if _anything_ goes wrong." Dr Albert ordered the two nurses and then watched carefully as they rolled the now unconscious male out of the room.

"One down…One to go" He spoke out loud with a heavy sigh and an odd smile.


	5. Distractions

Juliann

Chapter 5- Distractions

Within 5 minutes of rolling out the medical gurney carrying the unconscious form of what had been Mr. Martin Hartman, the two nurses in the pale green cotton smocks returned to the dimly lit room with a second gurney that was fully covered with a thin white sheet.

Dr. Albert smiled slightly as they lined her up with the silver rolling tray and under the direct glare of the single florescent bulb that lit the small windowless medical bay. "Prepare the patient." He ordered firmly as he did last time and washed up.

One of the nurses yanked off the long white sheet to reveal a beautiful young girl with mid-back length dark brown hair soundly sleeping peacefully. As with their previous patient, they began to cut off and then shave her whole head. This time the nurse cutting the hair carefully tossed the cuttings into a plastic bag. It was determined that this hair would be donated to a wig company to help make real hair wigs for cancer patients. It made Knight Reconstructions look to be a kind/giving company that always gave a hand up to the little people.

Albert did as prior and proceeded to load the two 2 inch syringes with the thick green fluid. This time though, he got his first look at his young patient. She was so young and beautiful and this time it would be a total brain wipe. It was the most severe of the procedures. He looked away from the sleeping girl. He couldn't watch her sleep so peacefully knowing full well her fate.

As soon as the cutting and shaving was complete, the nurses scrubbed her naked scalp down and then looked to Dr. Albert for his next instruction. "Strap her down and then go check on our first patient. He may be having complications as we work."

Just like her father had been tied down, they proceeded to do the same to her. They tied down her feet, her arms, her calves, her chest, and then fully secured her head. It took a good 3 minutes to complete but it was necessary.

"Check on our other patient, NOW!" Albert ordered firmly. "Come back in 20 minutes for this patient understood?"

"Yes doctor." They answered in perfect unison.

As soon as the zombie-like nurses vacated the small blue tiled medical room, he turned his attention back to the young girl sleeping under the massive restraints. Suddenly, he began to feel a sensuality about her. Her tanned skin matched perfectly with her rich pink lips. He quickly turned away in shame. "She is only a child." He chided himself.

After taking a deep breath and releasing it with a heavy sigh, he carefully picked up a loaded syringe off of the sliver aluminum tray and slowly turned toward his sleeping patient.

The instant his eyes lay upon her, his desire to kiss her overcame his common sense. He softly stroked her freshly shaven scalp with his free hand and then leaned in to kiss her. Within centimeters of touching her full lips to his, Rebecca woke up.

She had felt the soft stroking of her head and thought that it was her mom. Her sweet Mom used to softly wake up Rebecca like that all the time.

When Rebecca locked eyes on the strange man leaning over her, she didn't know his intent. She did however; scream out in fear just by seeing him so close to her and so unexpectedly.

Albert had closed his eyes in anticipation of the kiss. He didn't notice her awaken and he didn't notice her flinch in fear. He did however hear her scream of shocked terror. He was so lost in the moment that her sudden scream startled him.

Albert lost his footing on the slick blue tile and fell flat against Rebecca. The second that he landed on top of the screaming girl, his hand that was loosely holding the fully loaded syringe whacked hard against the side of the metal gurney. The abrupt action was enough to knock the delicate glass syringe clear out of his hand and crashing to the unforgiving floor. It shattered instantly upon impact.

Albert quickly tried to stand up and get away from Rebecca but his feet kept slipping on the mess of green Catplait under him. A few times, he managed to push off the still screaming girl about ½ a foot and then his feet would slide out from under him causing him to crash down on top of the frightened 16 year old girl again.

Finally on the third attempt, he made it to an awkward standing position but at least he was standing.

When the strange man fell on top of Rebecca, she panicked and tried to push him off and found that she was tied down. That's when she began to scream uncontrollably as she fiercely fought her bondage. All she could hear was her fear and if she had had to formulate a sentence, it would have come out garbled, if at all.

She continued her panicked screams long after he had finally stood up. Her dark brown eyes were as wide as discs and she was thrashing like mad against the tight straps holding her down.

About a minute later, her freaked out mind managed to wrap around the word "help". She began to scream it uncontrollably. She screamed it with all her heart, when suddenly a strange hand covered her mouth and half of her nose. She could barely breathe.

"No one is coming to your aid." The deep voice whispered menacingly in her ear. "As a matter of fact, I am the only one who can hear your screams and I am getting rather sick of it. Do you understand?"

With a loud echoing bang, a wooden door smacked against the wall in the distance. One of the emotionless nurses in the pale green smocks rushed into the dimly lit medical bay. Her steps were soundless, her face was unemotional, and when she spoke to the doctor, Rebecca couldn't hear a word.

"The male patient's fever has increased to 103 degrees. We are currently treating it with the standard care. You have asked to be informed of any changes in his recovery. You are now informed." The nurse whispered matter-of-factly into Dr. Albert's ear.

The doctor let out a swear word in frustration. As long as the high fever continued to burn, his chances of recovery lessened. "If you will excuse me Miss Hartman, I have another duty to attend to." He addressed her sweetly and then lifted his hand off of her perfect mouth. "But don't worry, I shall return." He teased viciously as he disappeared into the darkness and then slammed the wooden door closed.

Rebecca let a cold shiver run down her spine. That man had her tied down, had tried to kiss her, and had plans to return? That's when her determination to break her bonds returned. She fidgeted hard. She fidgeted for her life.

Albert checked the recent test results and groaned in frustration. The unconscious man's fever had been increasing a half a degree every 5 minutes. He was currently having the same symptoms and problems as the other patients of Catplait that had perished. "You cannot die." The doctor whispered into the dying man's ear.

The unconscious man flinched and then moaned sorrowfully. He opened his brown eyes but focused on nothing. There was no life behind them.

"Who are you?" Albert whispered again into his patient's ear. According to the study done on Catplait, asking the patient that question increased cognitive functions thus causing the patient to not succumb to brain numbing or paralyzation that could and in most cases did end up in brain death.

The handsome male patient continued his glazed over stare at nothing as he moaned long and low. He couldn't comprehend anything but he could hear plainly and the noise bothered him.

"Continue treating his fever and run a temperature check on him every 3 minutes. I want the data charted precisely. If his temperature increases another full degree, come notify me instantly!" The doctor ordered firmly as he set the metal clipboard back on top of his moaning patient. "Now excuse me, I have to finish my previous project." He lilted as he rushed out of the room.


	6. Rebecca Who?

Juliann

Chapter 6- Rebecca Who?

Rebecca worked hard to try to get her arms free of the super strong bonds. She figured that if she could free up her hands then she could get the rest off pretty quickly. She could clearly feel the pain of a stinging rope burn and the vicious cuts that they must have been making in her skin. She didn't care. She knew that this was her only chance and she needed to use it wisely.

Albert had to make one stop on his way back to his duty. He needed to get some more Catplait. His _stupidity_ had caused him to drop and break a full dosage of the green drug. He knew that he was not approved for an extra dosage but he would just lie and place the blame on his zombie-like nurses and their inability to anything right.

Albert carefully placed his slightly wrinkled hand on the glowing red palm scanner on the outside of the closet-sized steel walk-in refrigerator. It was warm to the touch and made an odd beeping noise as it read his palm.

Within 5 seconds, the highly-advanced mechanical lock sounded a low tone approving chime. With a slowness that he only thought happened in the movies, the massive solid metal latch slid to the right. Albert tapped his foot impatiently as the latch took it sweet time.

Rebecca kept moving and stretching the solid straps that held her hands tied down to the horrid medical gurney. She had no idea of the passage of time but she did know that he was due back any second now. She could feel the sticky warmth of what could only be blood trickling down her arm but she was so determined to break free, she didn't feel the pain anymore.

Suddenly, Rebecca's hand slipped easily out of the strong fibrous loop. As quick as possible, she attacked the Velcro straps on her neck brace with a vengeance. It was choking her but finally it came off quickly with a loud scratchy sound as she ripped at it. It was so loud that it made her squint reflexively. Next, she began to try to free up her other hand.

Albert finally got inside the large morgue-like refrigerator. After a loud hiss of air, it swung open automatically but slowly in front of the impatient doctor. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, he was able to walk inside and straight to the back. He carefully slid away a glass sliding door. The green Catpalit sat on a thin glass shelf second up from the bottom. It glowed a deep forest green under the brilliant glare of the bright florescent lights.

He grabbed two just in case and then slammed the sliding glass door closed as he made his way out of the cold storage room. Once he was outside of the massive all metal appliance, he smacked a large red button on the wall next to the huge metal latch. He didn't stick around to see the results because he was rushing back to the medical bay. The massive door would automatically slide back into place with a loud thud.

Somehow, out of pure luck, Rebecca managed to unlatch the slip buckle on her other hand. As soon as her other hand was free, she began to frantically work on the strap across her head. Her heart was pounding a hundred miles per hour as she fumbled with the big slip buckle located just slightly left of her head. Her fingers were now wet with sweat and a thin coating of blood. So her grip kept slipping. Finally, she got a good grip and the stubborn buckle slipped away freely.

"Congratulations." A very familiar baritone voice echoed in the surrounding darkness.

Rebecca gasped in fright. She fearfully scanned the room but couldn't see anything beyond her small circle of light.

Albert hung back in the shadows like a predator stalking his prey. "You have accomplished something your father could not." He teased viciously.

"Where's my Dad?" She yelled painfully at the immense darkness as she began tearing at the massive chest strap holding her down. She needed to get it off NOW!

"Martin Hartman doesn't exist anymore." He laughed evilly. "Does your current freedom indicate that you are not going to cooperate with my procedure?"

"Where's my Dad?" She screamed out again in panic as she feverishly yanked on the metal buckle.

Albert took a half a step into the blinding light. He stood on the very edge of where the bright light met the cast darkness. Only the very front of him was illuminated and that didn't even include his eyes. They remained shadowed in the menacing depth of blackness. "Lost in this and you shall be also." He teased maniacally as he held up a small bottle of green liquid in the bright light.

Rebecca smiled slightly as the large buckle centered directly in the middle of her chest loosened and then slipped away. She still had 3 straps to go before she would have any true freedom.

'Was he really going to let her free herself? If so, what was his intent if she was free?' Rebecca thought as she quickly sat up.

Then all of the sudden a wave of calmness and confidence washed over her as she realized it didn't matter what happened once she was free. She would at least be able to have a fighting chance.

He smiled evilly as he pulled out another glass syringe out of a small metal drawer that was located under the shiny aluminum tray. He quickly plunged the 2 inch long needle into the top of the small vial of green liquid. He held both the bottle and the syringe high up in the bright light as he carefully filled the empty syringe with the slimy Catplait. At the same time, he kept a watchful eye on the progress of his escaping patient.

Rebecca yanked the restraining strap that was across her thighs away fast. It must have been only 5 seconds at the most. Her heartbeat began to increase again just due to her anticipation of freedom.

She stopped looking at the evil doctor all together. Whatever he was doing, she really didn't want to know. But she did wonder why he wasn't trying to hold her down or hamper her escape in some way.

Rebecca scooted down the length of the metal gurney so that her knees were up against her chest. This made it easier to attack the 2 slip buckles on the restraining loops of her feet. She could now taste her freedom. It was great. She grabbed the right with both hands and slipped it loose in 2 seconds flat. Without even breathing, she nailed the second slip buckle. It gave her a bit of a fight. The nurse that had tightened this one secured it well. It wasn't easy to slip her teenage fingers under it and it wasn't budging as she shook it to loosen it. Rebecca growled and huffed in some air as fought the stubborn buckle.

Albert sighed as he knew the next course of action he had to take with this one. He didn't want to do this but he knew that she wasn't going to stay perfectly still for him while he administered the Catplait into the center of her forehead. He quietly dug into the metal drawer once again. This time he searched it for a weapon.

Rebecca finally got the nasty buckle to cooperate with her and slipped out of the last of her bindings. With a short suck in of air, she leapt off of the medical gurney at a full dash.

She didn't make it more than 2 feet when her whole body screamed in pain. Every inch of her skin burned like fire and she yelled as her knees buckled and she fell hard against the blue tiled floor.

Albert stood smiling at the opposite end of a stun gun. Its long metal filaments led straight into the darkness where he knew that they had made the mark where he had aimed them.

"You will cooperate." He said coolly as he walked calmly over to the shaking 16 year old girl still huddled on the cold floor.

Rebecca curled up defensively into a fetal position but managed to argue back, "Not if I can help it."

"One more chance, you will cooperate." He warned lowly as he prepared to use the tazer again.

Rebecca stood up defiantly. "I will not. You have killed my father. Now you will have to kill me." She spoke it as an ultimatum.

"Then so be it." Albert answered with a sigh as he activated his weapon again.

Rebecca shrieked out instantly as she felt the stinging burn rip through her like she was made of jelly. She crumbled to the floor as it continued to sear through her. Finally, the burning fire died down, leaving her to cry pitifully in pain on the floor.

Albert jumped instantly at his opportunity. The girl was practically immobile in pain and would be unable to put up much of a fight. So he quickly grabbed her by her shoulders and flipped her onto her back. To make sure that she wouldn't move, he sat down hard on her chest. With his left hand, he stabilized her head as much as possible. With his right, he jammed the needle directly into the center of her forehead.

Every single muscle screamed out in pain as Rebecca lie on the cold tile floor. She couldn't move without at least 5 or 6 muscles complaining in pain. And when she was rolled over by the mean doctor, she whimpered in protest. Then he had the audacity to sit on top of her. If she didn't hurt so much, she would have fought him but she just couldn't find the will to fight the pain.

Rebecca hadn't expected what happened next. She had been keeping her eyes closed because even they hurt. It surprised her when she felt a bee sting like bite right in the center of her forehead. She tried to shake it off a bit but the doctor had had his hand over her head preventing her from moving it. Also, her muscles were stiff and they hurt like someone was pulling them like taffy.

Albert waited a full 2 seconds after he stabbed Rebecca with the needle before he administered the drug. He knew her reflexes would fight the instant pain of the needle prick but that not long after that he would have her under his control again. He was right. She settled down quickly. So he carefully plunged the Catpalit into her brain.

Rebecca was just starting to regain some of her motor functions when she felt an odd sensation. She opened her eyes to see the middle-aged doctor get up off her. He was holding an empty needle and staring down at her expectantly. She tried to stand up and that's when she felt it.

Her pain from the stun gun had blocked the pain from his drug until now. Her mind began to swim and it began to burn. She tried to stay calm and conquer the pain through peace. It didn't work. It began to tear into her like a freight train.

Rebecca was still trying to stand up. All of the muscles in her body protested as the drug began to tear a hole in her brain. She managed to get up on her hands and knees as the pain from the green drug overcame her. Rebecca tilted back her head and let out a guttural scream as she lowered into a painful ball in that position.

Albert was so mesmerized by the whole scene unfolding before him that he nearly forgot the second dosage. This dosage contained the limitation of what could be erased from her mind and what stayed. That was why it was so vital. Without it, Catplait could, in theory, cause the patient to forget how to breathe.

He dashed over to the silver tray and snagged the glinting needle off of it while still moving. He whipped around quickly and purposely fell onto his knees next to the shivering and moaning girl. As he carefully lined up the needle, he asked softly into her ear, "Who are you?"

Rebecca lost all connections with the outside world and even with her own body as she fought the pain and confusion that was swimming around in her own mind. Everything burned as it hit new levels of pain that she had never imagined in her whole life. Then she heard a distant voice ask her something. Something she should have known. Something important. She groaned.

Albert quickly administered the second dosage. The girl didn't flinch or react to the outside stimuli. At first, that pleased him. She had been easier than he thought. But then, he realized that she was already succumbing to possible brain numbing.

He quickly flipped her onto her back and drug her into the bright light. Just the light alone could help keep some cognitive function. Then he began the interrogation, "WHO ARE YOU?!" He yelled at the top of his lungs into her ear.

She didn't move or react.

He grew worried and checked her pulse. It was rapid but still beating.

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

That's it. Rebecca gave up. It hurt to much to live. She was done. If life was like this, then there wasn't much purpose to it all. Every time she would manage to wrap herself around a memory to help herself stay strong, it would slip away and leave her with just a horribly violent painful hole.

Then she heard the words, 'who are you'. She didn't know. She didn't care. She was ready to die.

Albert could see his patient dying. He needed to get her on the gurney and get her to the recovery room. She needed the fever drugs, NOW! And, she needed to be hooked up to a brain wave monitor immediately.

As if they had read his mind, the two emotionless nurses appeared next to him in the blue tiled medical bay. They stood silently over the body of the 16 year old.

"Get her onto the gurney and rush her into recovery!" Albert barked as he helped lift her up. "Hook her up to the brain wave monitor, STAT!"

The nurses nodded in comprehension as they rushed her out of the silent medical bay.

Albert sighed in exasperation as he stood silently hunched over in the brilliant white glow of the florescent light. He would not admit it to anyone but he didn't like what he just did and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if the young girl died.


End file.
